Known semiconductor modules include electrodes arranged on a plastic package with an embedded semiconductor chip in such a way that a further semiconductor device with surface-mountable external contacts and/or a passive discrete component with surface-mountable external contacts can be stacked on the package to form a semiconductor module.
In the case of a power semiconductor module, power semiconductor chips that have a large-area and relatively stable semiconductor body are used. Power semiconductor chips of this type have electrodes of such a large area that they cover almost an entire external face (i.e., top side or back side) of the power semiconductor chip.
A disadvantage of these known semiconductor modules is that first a complete semiconductor device with: a plastic package, a plastic package molding compound and external contacts is produced on the semiconductor chip, which entails high costs. This packaged semiconductor device is then loaded with a passive and discrete component, which likewise has a package. A semiconductor module of this type has not only the disadvantage of complete individual fabrication of individual components before they are stacked but also the disadvantage that it provides a semiconductor module that is not created with the smallest possible space requirement. Finally, another concern is that the stacked passive discrete component is merely mechanically fixed by its surface-mountable electrodes to the external contacts of the base semiconductor device that are arranged under it, and is not protected by a plastic package molding compound.
Conventional power switching modules for supplying current and voltage to the on-board electrical systems of a vehicle, an aircraft or a stationary installation have circuit boards which are arranged with packaged discrete power semiconductor chips and with separately packaged, discrete passive components such as capacitors or resistors alongside the packaged discrete power semiconductor chip on a wiring structure of the circuit board. As a result, the two-dimensional extent of a conventional power switching module is made up of the surface area of the power semiconductor package with the power semiconductor chip and the package of the passive component, as well as the common wiring, which disadvantageously requires considerable surface area and space.